Buried Sprinkler Head with Removable Top for Lawn Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sprinkler systems pose tripping hazards and damage lawns due to their obtrusive design and require long hoses, which can cause further harm and water waste.
Innovation Solution
A sprinkler assembly with a buried sprinkler head and removable top, integrated with existing irrigation systems, eliminating the need for hoses and allowing electronic control for water conservation, and featuring adjustable water pressure for a water park-like experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional sprinkler systems use obtrusive above-ground design, then they are easily accessible and visible, but they create tripping hazards and damage lawns
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler system is divided into underground buried components and an above-ground accessible top section. The sprinkler head, valve, and connection mechanisms are buried below ground level to eliminate tripping hazards, while the removable top portion remains accessible for maintenance and cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sprinkler head is transitioned from a vertical above-ground position to a horizontal underground position. By burying the sprinkler head laterally accessible through the removable top, the system eliminates the vertical obstruction that causes tripping hazards while maintaining operational accessibility through the ground surface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional sprinkler systems use long hoses for water supply, then they provide flexible water delivery, but they cause lawn damage and water waste
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler system is integrated with the existing underground irrigation network. The buried sprinkler head connects directly to underground irrigation pipes through swing joints and female inlets, merging the water delivery system into the ground infrastructure. This eliminates the need for above-ground hoses that damage lawns and waste water through evaporation and spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical hose-based water delivery system is replaced with a pressurized underground pipe system. The swing joint mechanism allows angular movement and connection to underground pipes, substituting the flexible but harmful hose with a controlled, efficient underground conduit system that delivers water directly to the sprinkler head without exposure to environmental waste.
3Ease of operation
If sprinkler heads extend upwardly from the lawn, then they are easily accessible for maintenance, but they create tripping hazards and are vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler assembly is segmented into a permanent buried base section and a removable top section. The base containing the sprinkler head, valve, and connections remains buried for protection and hazard elimination, while the top section can be removed for maintenance access, combining safety with serviceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable top portion is extracted from the permanent buried structure. This extracted top section can be removed and set aside for cleaning and maintenance operations, allowing access to the buried sprinkler head without leaving obstructive above-ground components in place during normal operation.
4Ease of operation
If sprinkler systems lack electronic control, then they are simpler to operate manually, but they waste water and lack timing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler system incorporates an electronic control mechanism with timer and valve integration that operates automatically. The system serves itself by scheduling water delivery based on programmed timing, eliminating the need for manual operation while preventing water waste through precise control of water delivery periods and durations.
Data Source
AI summary
A sprinkler system having a sprinkler assembly with at least one sprinkler head having a removable top coupled thereto by an attachment means. A female inlet removably couples the sprinkler head to a swing joint, which is buried below the sprinkler head and connects the sprinkler head to the irrigation feed. The removable top has a plurality of openings for exporting water from the irrigation feed outwardly therefrom. A top surface of the sprinkler head includes crushed stone for stabilizing the sprinkler assembly. The sprinkler system further includes a control system in electronic communication with a valve and control box connected to the sprinkler assembly.